Beet-topping means



' 'c. Li. LEONARD AND A. r. HOWARD.

' am TOPPING mums. APPuc mou FILED vac. H. mm.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M C. L. L eanaraf H.FHoward.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BEET TOPPING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, I918.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

' C. LEONARD AND A. F. HOWARD.

Jwvaul'm C. L. L anard. AF Howard.

I c, L. LEONARD AND A; F HOWARD.

BEET TQPPING MEANSI APPLICATION men 0:0.11. ms. Patantedsopt' 21,1920.

3 sums-sum a.

1 II I /7 l I11 1 =2 iii "12 Jwuemi'du, C. L. Leona? HFHOTI-AJ'A.

cHnnLns L. Lao-final) Am) Ann-nit r. nowAIti), or 'IofiIAyMIGHIGAN.

BEEr-To-Pr'ING To all whom it may concern:

.Be a known that We, cam 's L. Lamband ALLEN F. HOWARD, citizen's offthe United States residing at ",Ioni'a, in the 4 county of Ionia and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Topping Means; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention,-

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to beet topping means and more particularly to a means of the character stated specially adapted to be used as an attachment fora beet harvesting machlne.

One of the mainobjects the invention I is to provide a toppingmechanism of sim- 'ple construction and operation which may bereadily applied to a beet-harvester ofstandard construction;

- A further object is to .provideanhattach- I ment ncluding means 'for severing-the tops from the beets, this attachmentbeingfurther provided with 'guiding'and elevating means adapted to bend the leaves ofthe beets over and to bring the cutting members 1 into engagement with thetop portion of Fig. 5' isa section taken the beets when thef leaves are thus bent so.

as to sever the tops therefrom.

A further object is to provide hingedlyr mounted supporting plates which carry guide plates and cutting means, the guide plates being adapted to engage the beets during forward movement of the machine so as to bend the leaves thereof over and bring the cutting means into -operative-en-'- gagement with. the beet tops. I

Furtherobjects will appear from the de-fl tailed description.

Inthe drawingsr Figure 1 is a side view of a topping mechanism constructed in accordance with our invention as applied to a beet harvest-er of conventional co'nstructlon.

ment.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view.

Fig. 4 is an underneath plan view. ,T"

line 55 of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 6 is a detail side view of oneof the guide plates and cutter head and associated .parts.

specie-came of Letters Patent.

Application filed member mart.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the attachsubstantially, on

Serial 1T0. 267,198.

is a detail side view of one of the n v i guide plates.

li1ie 88 of ig. 4. c

F 9 is a section taken substantially ion i e 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Ourattachment may beused in connec- Patented Sept. 21 1920.

lg. 8 isa section taken substantially on;

tion withfa beet harvesterof any suitable or preferred construction such as that illustr'ated embodying the fra m e designated gen-- erally by A, this frame being provided adg j acent its forward end with spaced uprights 2 which support a horizontal bar 3 eXtending transversely of the frame. The uprights 2; are connected to similar uprights 4 positioned in rear thereof by horizontal side bars 5. of the frame. As stated this frame be of anysuitable or standard construction and may be wheel mounted. in the .well

known manner, supporting. any usualb'eet harvesting mechanismiemployed in harvesters of this type. 1.

A supporting rod 5f is. supported by brackets 6 secured to the lower side bar 5 and toone ofthefront-uprights 2. -This rod is provided at one end with a strapv bearing member 7 which coeperates with. a sup porting bracket8- secured to uprightsj to rotatably support a drive shaft-9. disposed v I longitudinally of the frame. This shaft is provided on its upper end with abevel-gear 10 secured thereon adapted to mesh .with a drive gear which may be operatively connected to the operating mechanism of the harvester so as to be rotated thereb'yr ln this manner, the drive shaft maybe rotated during advancement of the machine by means of the operating 'mechanism'for the: harvesting devices for, if preferred, inde-f pendent means'of suitable type may beprovided for rotating this shaft. v 7

A disk 11 is secured on theforward end of shaft. 9 fori'otation therewith. This disk is-jeccentrically connected by a pitman 'rod 12 tovone end of 'a connecting rod 13 which is provided adjacent one end with a transverse slot which receives the turned over portionl of rod 13, the rod being turned over as shown to provide asl'e'eve and an offset, strap portion' which is'riveted to. the

body ofthe rod. The pitman rod -willthus act to reciprocate the connecting rod when thedrive shaft 9 is rotated. I

Connecting rod 13 is pivotally secured adjacent each-end; as'at 1'5; tothej rearward end of an operatingarm 16 which is pivotally secured intermediate its ends by means of a countersunk pivot pin 17 upon the under face of a supporting plate 18. .Suitable guide straps 19 straddle the rearward por tions of the operating arms so'as to support and guide' the same during rocking movement th'ereofwhen the connecting rod 13 is reciprocated. a V

Each of the supporting plates 18 is provided at its upper end with a sleeve member 2O securedthereon and fitting snugly about the shaft or rod These sleeves aresecured in adjustment on the rod longltudi nally thereof by means of collars 21 posi-.

tioned at each-end of the sleeves and secured in adjustment on the rod by set screws As will be noted from Fig. 1, when the attachment is'in operative position, the supporting plates 18 are at a downward and forward inclination, these plates being freelyrockable at their upper ends upon the rod '5 The plates may thus be readily rocked toward and away from the ground surface and secured-1n raised or inoperative position, when desired, or if preferred any suit-1 able means of well known construction may be employed for raising and lowering these plates.

Each of the plates 18 is provided adjacent its lower end, and at each side thereof, with a substantially rectangular or L-shaped bracket 22 which is secured to the upper sur-.

face of the plate and disposed at a slight upward and forward inclination thereto.

A substantially U-shaped member 23 is se -V cured to the plate adj acent'each sidethereof and directly below the bracket 22, this member being disposed in substantial parallelism with the bracket and having its forward arm positioned closelyadjacent the forward cated at relativelyhigh speed, these heads serving to cut or sever the tops from" the beets'with which they are brought into en-' gagement.

A- guide plate26 is mounted in advance of the lower end of each of the supporting plates 18. This guide plate is ofarcuate shape being arched upwardly and-forwardly of the plates 18, and is provided at each side 'with an integral substantially rectangular supporting bracket 26, the rearward end bar of which is detachably secured by securing screws27 to the forward end bars of the brackets 22 and the members 28.- As will be noted, the lower bars 28 of the'bra'ckets 26 form substantial continuations of the lower bars 29 of the brackets or U-members 23. I

Y In practice, the supporting plates 18 are adjusted on the supporting rod 5 so'that, when the harvesting machine is advanced along the'rows of beets, one of these plates will be positioned above each row, the guide plates 26 traveling a short distance above the ground, surface, and the lower bars 29 of the U-mei'nbers 23 constituting runners for'supporting the lower ends ofthe supporting plates. As the guide plate 26 is adbeing then severed from the body of the beet by the action of the cutting head. Also, the guide plates act to support the cutting head in predetermined relation to'the rootor body so vanced along the row, it engages "the leaves or tops ofthe beets so as to bend them over. a to expose the crown of the beet, .the top' of the beet during thecutting operation so Q as to insure that. this operation will beaccurately performed, thus avoiding wastage due to cuttingan'unnecessary amount from v the top of the beet root. It will be evident that there may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement ofthe details of our invention with'out'departing from thefield and scope of the same, and we intend to include all 7 v such variations as fall within the scope of the'appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form tion is disclosed.

What we claim is: 1

only of our inven- 1. The combination with beet harvest mg machine including a supporting frame;

of a supporting plate hingedly secured to said frame for rocking movement" about a horizontal axis and projectingdownwardly and forwardly therefrom, a cutting head mounted on'said plate at the lower arm thereof for reciprocation transversely there'- face so as to support the lower end of said supporting frame above the ground, sald means also constituting means for guiding the cutting head during jreciprocation thereof. V I p 2. In an attachment for beet harvesters, a supporting-rod adapted to be secured in a beet harvester frame transversely thereof, a supporting plate hingedly secured at one end to said rod so as' to be freely rockable about the same, said plate projecting downwardly and forwardly from the rod,

.110 of, and means for engaging the ground sur an operating arm rockably mounted upon said plate intermediate the ends thereof, a

end ofthe supporting plate, means for rockmg said arm so as to reciprocate the head transversely of the supporting plate, and;

'12s 1 cutting-head secured on the forward end of. a said arm and projecting beyond, the lower means for guiding said head during reciprocation thereof adapted to slidably support the lower end of the plate upon the ground surface and to maintain said supporting plate in spaced relation to the ground.

3. In an attachment for'beet harvesters, a supporting rod adapted to'be secured in a beet harvester frame transversely thereof, a supporting plate hingedly secured at its upper end to said rod, an operating arm extending longitudinally of said supporting plate and pivotally secured thereto intermediate its ends, a cutting head carried by said arm at thelower end thereof and projecting beyond the lower end'o'f the supporting plate, means for engaging the ground surface so as to slidably support the lower end of said supporting plate'above the ground, said means being adapted to guide the cutting head during reciprocation thereof, an

operating shaft rotatably supported at one end of said supporting rod, a disk secured on said shaft, and a pitman eccentrically connected to the disk and secured to said arm so as to cause'rocking movement thereof for reciprocating the cutting head when said arm is rocked.

4. In an attachment for beet harvesters, a supporting rod adapted to be secured in a beet harvester frame transverselythereof, two parallel supporting plates hingedly secured to said rod at their upper ends for free rocking movement about the rod, means for adjusting said supporting plates toward and away from each other longitudinally of the rod so as to position the same above the rows of beets along which the harvester is drawn, cutting members carried by the supporting plates at the lower ends thereof, and guide members projecting beyond the plates and adapted to bend over the leaves 7 of the beets so as to expose the crowns there of, said guide members being disposed in predetermined relation to the cutting members and adapted to support the same in predetermined relation to the root of the beet during the topping operation so as to insure that the proper amount of the beet top will be severed therefrom.

5. In an attachment for beet harvesters, a supporting member, a supporting arm 7 hingedly secured thereto for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, at its upper end, 7 substantially U-shaped members secured to said supporting plate adjacent the lower ends thereof and projecting below and in advance of the same, the lower bars of said members constituting runners for supporting the lower end of the supporting plate during advancement of the same, a

cutting head positioned at the lower end of said supporting plate and projecting bef yond the same, said head being mounted for movement transversely of the plate and the U-members constituting guides for reciprocation of the head, and'meansfor reciprocating said head.

6. In an attachment forbee t harvesting machines, a supporting plate adapted'to be secured at one end to a beet harvester frame for rocking movement about a horizontal 7 axis, substantially L-shaped brackets secured,

to the plate at the other end and adjacent each side thereof, said brackets projecting beyond said plate and at an angle thereto, substantially U-shaped members secured to the plates beneath said brackets and projecting downwardly'from the plate, said U- members cooperating with the brackets to form bracing and guide frames, a cutting head slidably mounted in said guide frame for reciprocation transversely of the supporting plate, means for reclprocating said head, and upwardly and forwardly curved guide plates secured to the forward ends of said brackets and U-members and Project ing beyond the cutting head at an upward inclination to the plate, said members being adapted to act as guide members for depressing the stemsof the leaves of beets so as to expose the crowns thereof and for maintaining the cutting head in predetermined relation to the root of the beet during the topping operation, the lower bars of said U-members constituting rumiers for supporting the lower end of the plateabove the ground-surface during advance of said plate. a In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two'witnesses;

CHARLES L. LEONARD.

ALLEN F. HOWARD. Witnesses:

IRA L. COTTON, HARRY JENNINGS. 

